Warning light with spring socket for a bulb

ABSTRACT

A light primarily intended for trucks and trailers has a generally tubular socket designed to receive lamp bulb bases having radially projecting pins registrable with radial holes in the socket into which the pins are entered by rotation of the bulb in the sockets. The socket comprises separable parts, one of which is a spring which may be lifted manually to release the bulb without requiring reverse rotation thereof. The free end of the spring socket wall may be anchored in the assembly of the socket to prevent accidental bulb release.

United States Patent 1 1 Newman June 19, 1973 WARNING LIGHT WITH SPRING SOCKET FOR A BULB [75] Inventor: Charles J. Newman, Madison, Ind.

[73] Assignee: The Grote Manufacturing Company,

Madison, 1nd.

[221 Filed: May 3, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 139,419

[52] US. Cl. 240/822, 339/188 [51] Int. Cl B60q 1/32 [58] Field of Search 240/822, 8.2, 7.4,

240/7.l D, 52.1, 50, 51, 41 L, 51.11 A; 339/188 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9 1951 Daon 240 71 R x 6/1963 Knapp 240/82 1/1964 Magazanik 240/7.1 R

3,222,512 12/1965 Dickson 240/82 3,445,645 5/1969 Newman 240/82 3,488,626 1/1970 Koerper et al.. 240/7.1 R X 3,581,080 5/1971 Magi 240/82 Primary ExaminerLouis J. Capozi Attorney-Wheeler, House & Wheeler [57] ABSTRACT A light primarily intended for trucks and trailers has a generally tubular socket designed to receive lamp bulb bases having radially projecting pins registrable with radial holes in the socket into which the pins are entered by rotation of the bulb in the sockets. The socket comprises separable parts, one of which is a spring which may be lifted manually to release the bulb without requiring reverse rotation thereof. The free end of the spring socket wall may be anchored in the assembly of the socket to prevent accidental bulb release.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures WARNING LIGHT WITI-I SPRING SOCKET FOR A BULB BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The lamp bulbs used in fixtures of the type indicated are usually small and the space in which they are accommodated within the lamp is usually so limited that removal of the bulb, particularly under adverse weather conditions, offers difficulties.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION A bulb socket herewith disclosed has relatively movable walls, one of which is a spring having a free end by which it may readily be manipulated to release the lamp bulb base when replacement is necessary. Desirably there is interaction between the parts of the lamp and the free end of the spring to preclude accidental release of the bulb. It is desirable that the bulb may be introduced into the socket in the conventional manner by relative rotation of the bulb while at the same time the socket may be expanded in a generally radial direction for the release of the bulb.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of one type of lamp in which the invention may advantageously be used.

FIG. 2 is a plan view on the bottom portion of the lamp with the transparent or lens portion removed.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view fragmentarily showing the lamp and socket in section on the plane indicated at 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the lamp in longitudinal section, portions being broken away.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The lamp casing is conventionally made with a top 6 removably attached to a bottom 8. Both the top 6 and the bottom 8 may be molded of synthetic resin. The resin used for the manufacture of the top is partially transparent and is usually colored when intended to constitute a parking or warning light for a motor vehicle or trailer. The bottom 8 has an upstanding wall at 10 with a rib at 12 which may be engaged with snap action by the complementary rib 14 on the wall 16 of the lens or top 6 of the casing. One or more retaining screws such as that shown at 18 may connect the top and bottom of the lamp casing, if desired.

The stamping 20 provides a receptacle 22 into which the bared end of a live electrical conductor may be clamped with pliers. The upstanding flange 24 on the stamping 20 is engaged by the central contact 26 of the lamp bulb 28. The base 30 of the lamp bulb is grounded through the socket spring 32.

The bottom portion 8 of the lamp fixture has a boss 34 which provides a concave cradle 36 constituting one side of the socket for the lamp base 30. The spring 32 is fastened to the fixture and has an arcuate portion 38 complementary to the cradle 36 to constitute the other side of the socket. The conventional radial pins 40 on the base 30 of the lamp are received into appropriate radial openings 42 and 44 in the opposing parts of the socket. There is clearance between the boss 34 and the spring side of the socket so that if the bulb is inserted with the pins 40 projecting substantially horizontally, they will readily be received between the fixed and yieldable portions of the socket and will be engaged in the openings 42 and 44 when the bulb is rotated from the position of insertion to the illustrated position of use.

The spring 32 has a free end portion 50 which is normally held by the bias of the spring against the upper surface of the lamp housing boss 52 into which the retaining screw 18 is threaded. The top or lens portion 6 of the lamp housing has a boss 54 which rests on the free end portion 50 of the spring so that when the top of the housing is snapped into place as above described, the free end of the spring is tightly clamped between the boss 54 of the top and boss 52 of the bottom. It the bolt or screw 18 is used, it may desirably pass through an appropriate opening 56in the spring to assure maintenance of the spring in its bulb retaining position.

However, when the top or lens portion 6 of the housing is removed, the free end 50 of the spring is exposed and may readily be lifted manually against its bias to the position indicated at dotted lines in FIG. 3, thereby to release its engagement with the base 30 of the bulb, whereby the bulb may freely be withdrawn without requiring that it be rotated from its position of interlocked engagement with the spring and the fixed portion of the socket.

While the invention has particular value in the usage indicated, it may also be used in other lamp fixtures.

I claim:

1. A lamp fixture having a socket with which a lamp base is engageable by relative rotation, the socket comprising a boss providing a concave saddle constituting one side of the socket, a spring connected with the boss and having an arcuate portion complementary to said saddle and constituting the other side of the socket, said spring continuing beyond its said arcuate portion to provide a manually manipulatable free end which may be flexed away from an inserted lamp base for the release of the base from the socket, a detachable partially transparent cover and a bottom with which the cover is normally connected, said cover having means engageable with the free end of the spring to preclude the lifting of the spring to release the lamp bulb base when the cover is assembled to the fixture bottom.

2. A fixture according to claim 1 in which the bottom and cover of the fixture are both comprised of synthetic resin and have opposing bosses between which the free end of the spring is confined when the cover and bottom of the fixture are in connection.

3. A fixture according to claim 2 in which a screw connects the cover and bottom of the fixture and holds said bosses in clamping engagement with the free end of the spring.

4. A fixture according to claim 1 in which the spring has inherent bias toward a position in which a lamp base in the socket is held therein.

i 4* i l 

1. A lamp fixture having a socket with which a lamp base is engageable by relative rotation, the socket comprising a boss providing a concave saddle constituting one side of the socket, a spring connected with the boss and having an arcuate portion complementary to said saddle and constituting the other side of the socket, said spring continuing beyond its said arcuate portion to provide a manually manipulatable free end which may be flexed away from an inserted lamp base for the release of the base from the socket, a detachable partially transparent cover and a bottom with which the cover is normally connected, said cover having means engageable with the free end of the spring to preclude the lifting of the spring to release the lamp bulb base when the cover is assembled to the fixture bottom.
 2. A fixture according to claim 1 in which the bottom and cover of the fixture are both comprised of synthetic resin and have opposing bosses between which the free end of the spring is confined when the cover and bottom of the fixture are in connection.
 3. A fixture according to claim 2 in which a screw connects the cover and bottom of the fixture and holds said bosses in clamping engagement with the free end of the spring.
 4. A fixture according to claim 1 in which the spring has inherent bias toward a position in which a lamp base in the socket is held therein. 